While registering for classes at Concordia Seminary a number of years ago, a student found his money had run out.  His wife had some unexpected medical expenses and nothing was left to pay his tuition.  The Sem office said he could register, but he had two weeks to come up with $800 in tuition or he'd have to withdraw.  While driving home he began praying about this when a woman rear-ended his car.  "Great - that's just what I need," he thought as he surveyed the damage.  "I'm broke, I owe $800 and now I have a car with a trunk that won't open."

          That night he received a call from the woman's insurance agent.  The agent said, "Do you think $300 will fix your car?"  The student said he didn't know because he'd had no estimate.  But the agent continued, "How about $600?"  The student didn't know what to say.  Then the agent increased his offer to $800, and the student accepted.  Three days later the check came and he paid his tuition.  A few days later he received a phone call from his mother saying she had bought a new car and was bringing them her old car.  A day or two later another seminarian bought his wrecked car for $300. Within a week his tuition was paid, he had a better car and $300 in the bank - all evidence that the Lord does provide!

          Every generation and every Christian needs to know that the Lord does provide for their needs.  John's account of this wonderful story tells us the loaves and fishes were from a boy's lunch, perhaps one his mother sent along.  The boy must have over-heard the disciples say they needed something to eat, so he offered his lunch.  And so his gift became the most famous sacklunch in history, because with it Christ our Lord fed five to six thousand people.  The Disciples said, "The people are hungry."  Jesus said, "You feed them."  They said, "All we have is a boy's lunch."  He said, "Bring it here to me."  The disciples fed thousands with a boy's lunch.  The Lord does provide!

          Today there are hungry people all around, but their hunger is not for lunch.  They're hungry for substance in life.  They're hungry for meaning and purpose.  They're hungry for life, but they're starving for eternal life.  Twelve people in Atlanta were killed by a man starved for meaning in life.  They're all around us -- our jobs, neighborhoods, and friends.  They're also all around our church, and our Lord wants us to feed them.

          We, His modern-day disciples, see that starvation, so we ask God to feed them, that is, bring them salvation.  We say, "Lord, let the Good News be preached all over!"  Jesus says, "You feed them."  We say, "But all we have is our two hands and feet."  Jesus says, "Bring them here to me."  And if we let Him, He will do a powerful miracle and feed thousands through our personal witness.  But we have to feed them.  Jesus won't do this miracle alone.

          Last February, Carol and I saw where Jesus probably fed those 5,000.  It's on the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee where there's lush grass along the sloping hillsides.  St. Luke's record of this miracle said the people sat down in groups of 50 and 100, like the orderly way Moses grouped the Israelites in the wilderness of Mt. Sinai.  God provided their needs back then in a wilderness of rocks in the desert.  Today Jesus still provides for our eternal needs, but this time in a wilderness of concrete in the suburbs.

          Today is the first Sunday of the month and so we consider another of the five purposes of the church -- Positive Outreach.  As Epiphany Lutheran grows both internally on the Word of God and externally in numbers, let's remember our Lord's command to make disciples of all nations includes the nations in our neighborhood.

          On the last weekend of this month, we're privileged to have the OAFC - Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ - visit our church to teach us witnessing methods and help us canvas one of our neighborhoods in Castle Rock.  We're going to have some great fellowship and food, and we'll learn how to feed God's people along the way.

          Our church must have vision and direction to do the Lord's work.  If we have vision but no action, it's all a bunch of daydreaming.  If we have action but no vision, it can become a nightmare.  We must continually work on our Church's five purposes:  Joyful Worship, Faithful Service, Positive Outreach, Loving Fellowship and Biblical Nurture.

          The bread Jesus fed them was central to life.  Today some people refer to money as bread.  When I was a kid, we used to call it dough, but I guess they baked it.  John says they were barley loaves, the bread of poor folks.  Any bread back then was a gift from God.  Even the scraps were used.  Today we value bread differently.  We're told eating too much bread is bad for us.  But like it or not, it's still the staff of life.

          Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."  Martin Luther wrote, "Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like."  That means "daily bread" covers just about everything.  It's what we need for life.  That list may not be all we want in life, but it is all we need.

          God gives us what we need.  He gives us food, clothing and shelter, and in Christ He gives us heaven.  Our great need is not for more food but a renewed faith in Christ that leads us to eternal life.  Like Christ gave them bread and fish through His disciples, so today He gives people the Gospel through us, His modern-day disciples.

          Outreach is a fundamental purpose of the church.  Jesus said, "Go, then, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching all I have commanded you."  The Disciples saw hungry people, and Jesus said, "Give them something to eat."  We see thousands of hungry people around us, and so Jesus tells us, "Give them the Gospel."  We share our food and share our faith.  That's outreach - it's what we're to do.

          After feeding the 5,000, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."  This means Jesus isn't here for earthly things only.  He's here for eternal things.  Through shedding His precious blood, He forgave us.

          While on earth, He lived a perfect life and fulfilled God's Law for us.  And now the Father says that whoever has faith in what Jesus did has eternal life.  People need to know this.  We may know our Savior, but so many others don't.  They're seeking salvation in wrong things and going down the road to perdition.  Christ wants us to bring the Gospel to a lost and dying neighborhood.

          Christ came to this world, not to fix our earthly problems, but to fix our REAL problem - the wages of SIN.  The worst thing in life is not eternal bills or eternal stress but eternal death.  Physical pain and death are nothing compared with eternal death and separation from God.  The pains of hell never go away.  You're forever in crisis.  You never get better.  You're always falling over the edge.  For some folks, that's their life right now!  Let's give them Jesus, the Bread of Life.  Let's show them there's hope!  Let's feed God's people with food that always satisfies.

          But first you and I must come to the Lord ourselves.  We must trust Him for everything.  He's the Bread of Life -- let Him feed you.  Then you can feed others.  Regular worship and regular Bible study give us strength for daily life and ability to share our faith.  Come to the Lord.  Let Him help you to reach out to feed the starving.

          A seminarian thought paying his tuition was impossible and discovers the Lord provides.  The disciples thought feeding all those people was impossible, but the Lord provided.  How about you?  How has God fed you with loaves and fishes?  How has He blessed you unexpectedly?  What is your story?  I know you have one.  We all have a story, and outreach is merely telling our story of what God has done for us.

          He who fed the 5,000 will feed you as well.  He's given us Himself - the Bread of Life.  Now let's go out and feed His people.  But first let's pray:  Dear Lord, You have fed us so often and so wonderfully.  We can't keep Your love a secret.  Help us reach out and tell our story to starving people.  When we see that neighbor, that co-worker, that friend in need, help us feed him Jesus, the Bread of Life.  Give us strength by regular worship and prayer.  Then help us strengthen others.  Amen!

Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.